The present invention relates to a system for separating an air-liquid mixture, as well as a separator assembly to be used in this system. The assembly and the system finds particular use in separating air-liquid mixtures in low gravity environments.
In zero gravity or low gravity environments, such as those found in spacecraft and space stations, airflow is used to entrain free floating liquid. The mixture is then processed through phase separators which return the air to the ambient atmosphere and transfer the separated liquid to other processing equipment. The known separators operate at high speeds, on the order of several thousand rpm, which results in the entrainment of air bubbles in the liquid output. This is particularly troublesome when the liquid contains any soaps or foaming agents
The known high speed separators provide excellent separation of air (or any gas) from the liquid. The separation of air from liquid is coarse and partially controlled only by applying very high back pressure on the liquid discharge line. Low speed or non-rotating separators (such as cyclone or vortex separators) do not provide the level of air separation as the high speed separators, nor are they as dependable.